If you’ve ever wandered through the winding paths of the Enchanted Forest, you know it’s not just a theme park.
It’s something else entirely.
It’s the kind of place where childhood memories stick. Where crooked little houses lean just enough to feel magical. Where nursery rhymes come to life in the middle of the woods, and somehow, it all feels like it was built by hand… because it was.
And that’s exactly why this upcoming event matters so much.
Honoring the Visionary Behind the Magic
Roger Tofte wasn’t just the creator of the Enchanted Forest. He was the reason it existed at all.
Do you love Oregon?
Sign up for monthly emails full of local travel inspiration and fun trip ideas. In each newsletter we'll share upcoming events, new things to do, hot dining spots and great travel ideas.
Back in the late 1960s, Tofte had a dream of building a storybook park tucked into the Oregon woods. With no big corporate backing and no shortcuts, he quite literally built it himself piece by piece. Concrete, paint, imagination, and a whole lot of persistence.
What he created became one of Oregon’s most beloved roadside attractions. A place generations of families have visited, revisited, and passed down like a tradition.
Now, that legacy is being honored in a special way.
A Community Celebration of Life and Legacy
A public celebration of Roger Tofte’s life will take place on Tuesday, May 12th at 6:00 PM at the Pavilion at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
This won’t just be a formal gathering. It’s shaping up to be something much more personal.
Attendees can expect:
Stories and memories shared by the Tofte family
Never-before-seen footage from inside the Enchanted Forest
A chance to reflect on decades of creativity, imagination, and Oregon history
There will also be space for the community to take part in honoring Roger in their own way.
Guests are invited to bring printed photos and written memories to add to a shared memory wall. Whether it’s an old family snapshot from a summer visit or a handwritten note about what the park meant to you, it all becomes part of the story.
And if you’ve got digital photos, those can be shared online as well to be included in the celebration.
More Than Just a Park
For a lot of Oregonians, the Enchanted Forest isn’t just a stop off I-5.
It’s a core memory.
It’s the place you went as a kid, maybe holding your parents’ hands, maybe a little nervous climbing into the witch’s mouth or walking through the crooked house. And then one day, you’re the one bringing your own kids.
That kind of magic doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens because someone cared enough to build something lasting. Something weird, whimsical, and completely unique.
That someone was Roger Tofte.
A Chance to Say Thank You
Moments like this don’t come around often.
If the Enchanted Forest has ever meant something to you, this is a chance to show up, share a memory, and be part of honoring the man who made it all possible.
Because places like that don’t just exist.
They’re dreamed into reality.
And in Oregon, we’re lucky enough to have one.
